The Gulps are made up of frontman Harry All, 26, guitarist Charlie Green, 26, Franco Buffone, 23 Simon Mouchard, 23, and Raoul Khayat, 23. The band erupted on the music scene this year with their own brand of power pop that meets Indie Rock. The quintet are based in London but hail from three corners of Europe and the Middle East. BBC 6 DJ Steve Lamacq has already recommended their debut EP "The Kings Head" to listeners on BBC Radio 6. Here they chat to us about breaking into the music industry.
The Gulps
How did you all meet?
"This is a good question.
Harry All and Charlie Green jumped from a Spanish ship enroute to England’s music capital in search of band mates Simon Mouchard, Franco Buffone and Raoul Khayat and we all met while studying at the ICMP (Institute of Contemporary Music and Performance) in London."
Where did the name the Gulps come from?
"The aim of The Gulps is to create an audible experience so powerful that it rouses a strong emotional response in our listeners. A response so moving that their ears are undulating, their eyes are boggled and their saliva glands are running, resulting in the only physical manifestation worthy of such a reaction- a gulp. When you think of all the times we find ourselves gulping, it is in the moments of sheer bamboozlement and disbelief at what we are sensually experiencing.
That is why we are called The Gulps and that is what we will make you do."
Who do you take your musical inspiration from?
"Each band member brings their own biographical discography with them to influence the sound of The Gulps. Primarily, we draw upon the inspiration of rock’s household names, such as The Strokes, Rolling Stones and The Clash, to ground our compositions.
We want to reignite the industry with our own dissertation on what it is to be rock’n’roll [VIDEO] in the twenty-first century."
How long did it take to make your EP, "In The Kings House"?
"The “In The Kings House” EP was recorded over three days in The Doghouse Studios, a Barrie Barriemore Barlow establishment (ex member of Jethro tull ) which is located just outside of London with the irreplaceable guidance of Youth Martin, Oskar Vizan and Michael Rendall."
What is your favourite track on the EP?
"The Kings House"
Is there anyone you would like to collaborate with?
"We would like to collaborate with Fontaines D C, Idles, The Strokes, and many more."
How did you win your slot at the Mad Cool Festival?
"By the British edition of Mad Cool Talent, the jury was composed by two of the most prestigious music media, NME and DIY. Then all our fan base, family and friends push to be one of the two bands with more votes while we were asking people in the streets and Kentish Town/Camden pubs to gently take their phones and drop us a vote. We feel really grateful with all the love and support we received during that week. We won’t let anyone down and will play a massive show in Madrid."
What other festivals would you like to play?
"Glastonbury Festival, FIB, Y NOT Festival, Great Escape Festival, Liverpool Sound City. Any festival that fits with our kind of music is perfect to play a slot and share our energy with the audience."
How do you spend your downtime away from the band?
"We like to go to watch interesting bands performing around venues in London, eat good food, travel around the world or basically meet with more musicians for jam to create good music."
What is your career highlight to date?
"Working with Youth and play at Mad Cool and TRUCK festival."
You catch the Gulps at Mad Cool Festival (Madrid) on the 10th of July, Truck Festival (Oxfordshire) on the 25th of July, The Deptford All Day Mix-Up (London) on the 27th July and The Water Rats (London) on the 7th September.
